Improved means of affixing defensive armor-plates to marine batteries



UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

ORSEMUS G. STILLMAN, OF FABIUS, NEW YORK.

IMPHOVED MEANS 0F AFFIXING DEFENSIVE ARMOR-PLATES TO MARINE BATTERIES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 37,013, dated November 25, 1862.

T0 all wiz/0m, may concern.-

Be it known that I, OEsEMUs G. STTLLMAN, of Fabius, in the county of Onondaga and State of New York, have invented an improved method ot' combining shot-proof casing-plates with each other and with the surface of the hulls ot' vessels; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanping drawings, which form a part of this specification.

Figure I ot' said drawings represents a portion of the side cf a vessel, and Fig. 2is a section in theline y y of Fig. l.

The same letters refer to corresponding parts in bot-h drawings.

The planks c c of the vessel which is to be plated with shot-proof armor by niyimproved method may be secured to the ribs d d in any suitable manner. The shot-proof plates a a, which I simultaneously combine with each other and with the sides of a vessel by my improved method, must have grooves formed in their opposite edges, the side lips of which must be of unequal depth,and this variation in the depth ofthe sides of said grooves enables the said plates to be combined with the doublegrooved metallic ribs Z) b in such a manner as to entirely conceal the said ribs from external View, fas represented in Fig. 2, the inner sides of the grooves in the said casing-plates a a being received into the grooves of the ribs b far enough to allow the faces of the outer lips of said plate-grooves to abut closely against each other. Consequently by securely bolting the double-grooved metallic ribs b b to the ribs of a vessel, as shown in Fig. 2, and connecting the ends of the casing-plates a a with each other by means of tongues and grooves, the said casing-plates can loe securely combined with each other and with the sides of the hull of a vessel without rendering it necessary to perforate the said casi iig-plates or to expose the heads of any bolts or rivets to the action of shot or shell.

Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

Combining any desired number of grooveedged casing-plates cl, a with each other and with the exposed surfaces of a. vessel by the aid of a series of groove-edged and concealed ribs, b b, and the requisite number of staybolts, all substantially as herein set forth.

ORSEMUS G. STILLMAN.

Vitnesses:

OsoAR L. SPRAGUE, SARAH A. SPRAGUE. 

